Branding-iron



(No Model.)

J. L. TORREY.

BRANDING IRON. No. 520,503. Patented May 29,1894.

fi F 12 j 2 3 Q g 2 I I Q fllllllh l WITNESSES UNITED STATES Fries.

AT N'r BRANDlNG-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,503, dated May 29,1894.

Application filed July 7, 1893.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY L. TORREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Embar, 1n the county of Fremont and State of Wyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Branding-Irons, which are fully described and represented in the following specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a branding iron which will make a better and clearer brand than the irons ordinarily used and which will retain its heat longer than the ordinary form of iron, thereby obviating the necessity for frequently re-heating it.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the construction of a branding 1ron hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. 1

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like reference lettersindicate corresponding parts.

F gure 1 representsa plan view of mybranding 1ron from the back of letter used, the handle being in section. Fig. 2 represents a crosssectlon on the knew-00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged end view of a portion of my branding iron illustrated. Fig. 4: represents a cross-section of a branding iron such as are now 1n use. Fig. 5 represents various modificatlons in the face of my branding iron showing some of the different positions in which the projecting edges or ridges may be placed.

In the form of branding device shown in the drawings, A indicates the branding iron proper, B the supporting plate therefor, and O the handle. These parts may be secured together in any suitable way and may be of any desired form.

In the branding device illustrated in the accompanying drawings I have shown my branding iron as consisting of a representatron of the letter M, and a bar or dash at the side thereof, the whole forming a branding 1ron in common use and known as the Em bar brand. I desire it understood, however, that my improvements may be applied to any form of brand as none of the parts heretofore described are essential to or form any part of myinvention. Thebrandingironswithwhich I am familiar, and which so far as I know, are 1n practical use have'be'en heretofore constructed approximately as shown in Fig. 4..

Serial No. 479,827. (No model.)

Such irons have a very narrow branding face as shown at b and the sides thereof diverge from its face so that the iron is widest at its back. Such an iron has the greatest portion of the metal,"of which it is composed, ata considerable distance from its branding face. It is obvious, therefore, that the branding face of the iron, so constructed, will cool rapidly since there is not a sufficient body of metal at this point to retain the heat. Branding irons have been so constructed heretofore because it is practically impossible to hold a branding iron having a broad branding face upon the body of a kicking and squirming animal, and if the iron is allowed to slip dur ing the branding operation, the brand will be blotched and rendered obscure. A Very great disadvantage of an iron constructed as above described is to be found in the fact that the brand formed thereby is very narrow. When the wound formed by the brand heals, the hair will grow from both sides over such a narrow brand and obscure it. Furthermore, such an iron radiates its heat downwardly as indicated by the dotted lines radiating from the iron,as shown in Fig. 4. Such radiation tends to destroy the brand by causing it to blotch. My branding iron, the preferred form of which is shown in Fig. 3, differs from the iron heretofore described as now in use in this that it is broadest at its branding face and its sides D converge instead of diverge. I thereby construct an iron which has its greatest body of metal located at the branding face of the iron. In order to prevent the iron from slipping when applied to the animal I provide the face thereof with retaining devices at. These devices may consist of a ridge or ridges along or across the face of the iron as shown in Fig. 5 or as in the preferred form shown in Fig. 3; the iron is made concave upon its face and the edges are formed by the juncture of the sides and face of the iron, and are sufficiently sharp to form holding ridges or projections a. When such an iron is applied to the hide of an animal the ridges or projections a prevent the iron from slipping. Care should be taken not to make these holding ridges or projections so long as that they will burn entirely through the hide before the main part of the brand ing face of the iron comes into action. With I near the fire.

an iron so constructed a broad brand can be made without any danger of allowing the non to slip. ,The brand will, therefore, not be blotched and will be clear and distinct. Furthermore, the broad face of. the iron makes a face so wide that the hair upon the edges cannot grow over and obscure the brand while, by reason of the converging sides of the iron the heat is radiated upwardly away from the hide and the possibility of blotching is thereby lessened. Having a broad faced brand is of great advantage as it can be seen from a great distance, and when a number of herds become mixed in a grazing territory, the cow-boys are enabled to sort the stock belonging to different owners with great facility. Again, a clear and distinct brand such as will be produced by my iron cannot readily be tampered with or altered by rebranding over its face as can more readily be accomplished when the old form of iron having a narrow face has been used. An iron constructed as mine is will retain its heat for a much longer time so that the necessity for frequent heating is avoided. This is a very great advantage in view of the fact that'the branding fire is frequently made at some distance from the corral or chute when they are used, and when the corral or chute is not used, it is not always possible to throw the animals Alarge proportion of the time consumed in making frequent trips to the branding fires is, consequently, saved.

While, as I have said, I prefer the form of branding iron shown in Fig. 3 in which the face is concave and the sides converge upwardly and in which the edges act as the retaining ridges, it is obvious that the sidesof the iron need not converge, but may be substantially perpendicular or at any desired angle to the face of the iron and also that the face of the iron may be plain and the ridges or projections be formed thereon or at one side thereof as is shown in Fig. 5. This figure does not, however, illustrate all of the forms in which my iron maybe made, for I desire it to be understood that my invention includes broadly any form ofiron which has a broad face upon which a retaining ridge, projection, or other similar holding device is formed.

Having thus described my invention, what 2. A branding iron having abroad brand-.

ing face the said face being provided with a ridge or projection to prevent the iron from slipping substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A branding iron having a recessed branding face said face being provided with aridge or projection to "prevent the iron from slipping substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. Abrandingironhavingaconcavedbranding face the edges of said face forming ridges or projections to prevent the iron from slipping substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A. branding iron having a broad branding face and inwardly converging sides the said face being provided with means to prevent the iron from slipping, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. A branding iron having a broad branding face and inwardly converging sides, the

said face being concave and the edges thereof forming ridges to prevent the iron from slipping, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JAY L. TORREY. WVitnesses:

JOHN S. BRUCE, E. E. KNOSTMAN. 

